Cadillac Whelen Dominates GTP the 2026 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen • Motorsport America

Earl Bamber in his IMSA Whelen Cadillac at Watkins Glen International

Photos by Joe Proietti for Motorsport America 

 

The 2026 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen delivered one of the most dramatic IMSA endurance races in recent memory, marked by nine full course cautions, late race chaos, strategic gambles, and class battles that went right down to the final minutes. Below is a full, citation grounded race article summarizing the results and storylines from Watkins Glen International.

Cadillac Whelen Dominates GTP for Second Straight Win

The No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V Series.R driven by Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti scored a commanding overall victory, leading 143 of 182 laps and securing back-to-back IMSA WeatherTech Championship wins. Their pace, combined with sharp pit strategy—particularly pitting just before the second to last caution—allowed them to jump the No. 93 Acura and control the closing stages.

Aitken’s pole position set the tone, and the trio also swept the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup and IMSA Sustainability in Racing Award, making it a triple crown weekend for Action Express Racing.

Behind them, the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX06 (Nick Yelloly, Renger van der Zande, Kaku Ohta) finished second, followed by the No. 5 JDC Miller Porsche 963 (Laurin Heinrich, Tijmen van der Helm, Kaylen Frederick).

LMP2: AO Racing Breaks Through for First Win of the Season

In LMP2, AO Racing captured its first victory of 2026 with the No. 99 ORECA piloted by PJ Hyett, Dane Cameron, and Jonny Edgar. Cameron held off a fierce late charge from Alex Quinn in the No. 04 CrowdStrike ORECA, though the overall leading Cadillac ultimately separated the two cars before the checkered flag.

CrowdStrike Racing finished second, with Era Motorsport completing the podium.

GTD PRO: Vasser Sullivan Returns to Victory Lane

The No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, driven by Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat, claimed the GTD PRO win from pole—marking their first victory since the 2024 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Fuel strategy played a major role, as several teams gambled on stretching their final stint but were ultimately forced to pit before the finish.

The Paul Miller Racing BMW and Ford Racing Mustang completed the class podium.

GTD: Manthey 1st Phorm Takes Class Honors

In GTD, Manthey 1st Phorm secured the win with the No. 912 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) driven by Ryan Hardwick, Riccardo Pera, and Richard Lietz. Like GTD PRO, the class was shaped by late race fuel strategy, with Manthey emerging as one of the few teams able to maintain pace without an additional splash.

Race Chaos: Crashes, Cautions, and a Final Lap Incident

The six-hour contest was punctuated by nine full course cautions, including a major multicar crash involving Spencer Pumpelly and Matt Bell with 2 hours and 34 minutes remaining.

The final lap brought even more drama: a collision between Nicky Catsburg and Chris Mies forced the race to end under caution, locking in the class winners and preventing any last second challenges.

Final Class Winners (2026 Watkins Glen 6 Hours)

Class	Winner	Car / Team	Drivers
GTP	No. 31 Cadillac Whelen	Cadillac VSeries.R	Aitken / Bamber / Vesti
LMP2	No. 99 AO Racing	ORECA LMP2 07	Hyett / Cameron / Edgar
GTD PRO	No. 14 Vasser Sullivan	Lexus RC F GT3	Hawksworth / Barnicoat
GTD	No. 912 Manthey 1st Phorm	Porsche 911 GT3 R	Hardwick / Pera / Lietz

A Race Defined by Pace, Precision, and Survival

The 2026 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen showcased everything IMSA endurance racing is known for: blistering prototype speed, strategic depth, multiclass traffic management, and unpredictable late race drama. Cadillac Whelen’s dominance, AO Racing’s breakthrough, and Manthey and Vasser Sullivan’s class triumphs capped a weekend that will be remembered for its intensity and decisive final hour moments.

Motorsport America would like to thank Joe Proietti for his contribution to this story.